The effectiveness of an online multimodal intervention for mental health promotion: A randomised controlled trial
Abstract Introduction There is an urgent need for efficacious interventions to combat the global mental health crisis, and mental health promotion and primary preventive approaches are paramount. Objective This study examined whether an online multimodal intervention that incorporates evidence-based strategies from the disciplines of Lifestyle Medicine and Positive Psychology improved measures of mental health and emotional wellness. Methods 425 adults (68.8% females, aged 46.5 ± 15.6) from Australia and New Zealand were randomised to an intervention or control group. The intervention group participated in a ten-week online multimodal intervention. Measures of mental health and emotional wellness were taken at baseline (Week 1), post-intervention (Week 12), and 12 weeks post-intervention (Week 24). The control group completed the same assessments. Results The intervention group experienced significant improvements from Week 1 to 12 in: mental health (10%, p<0.001, d=0.50) and vitality (22%, p<0.001, d=0.54) subscales of the Short Form Survey (SF-36); depression (-42%, p<0.001, d=0.48), anxiety (-38%, p<0.001, d=0.39) and stress (-31%, p<0.001, d=0.52) subscales of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21); and life satisfaction (8%, p<0.001, d=0.48) as measured by the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS).The control group experienced significant improvements only in the mental health (3%, p=0.028, d=0.16) subscale of the SF-36, and the stress subscale (-9%, p=0.038, d=0.15) of the DASS-21. The changes in the intervention group were significantly greater (p<0.001) than the control group for all measures. Improvements in the outcome measures were generally sustained for the intervention group at 12 weeks post-intervention. Conclusion The online multimodal intervention improved measures of mental health and emotional wellness suggesting that such interventions may be useful for mental health promotion and prevention.